


Caravan Chatter

by Owlship



Category: Bumblebee (2018), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Charlie Goes With Bumblebee, Gen, Meeting The Family (kinda), Originally Posted on Tumblr, Post-Canon, basically the lineup from prime
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-13
Updated: 2019-03-13
Packaged: 2019-11-17 14:29:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18100355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Owlship/pseuds/Owlship
Summary: "It's good to see you again, old friend," the same huge Autobot from the holographic message says to Bumblebee, before turning their eyes towards Charlie. "And who is this?"





	Caravan Chatter

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on [tumblr](http://v8roadworrier.tumblr.com/post/183392690336/how-about-bee-introducing-charlie-to-the-other)!
> 
> I intended the unnamed bots to be Arcee and Cliffjumper, before being reminded that Cliffjumper dies in the film. Oops. So, either consider this an AU or imagine whichever bot you like best in his place.

"It's good to see you again, old friend," the same huge Autobot from the holographic message says to Bumblebee, before turning their eyes towards Charlie. "And who is this?"

"I'm Charlie," she says with an awkward wave of her hand. She'd thought Bumblebee was big, but this guy is twice the size! She's not a tiny girl, all told, but she sure feels minuscule next to these two.

"Charlie," the bigger robot says with a dubious note in his deep voice. "I am Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobot resistance." He crouches down on one knee, which still leaves him comically far above her head. "You have my thanks for helping to keep B-127, and his mission, safe."

Bumblebee's radio crackles to life and he says, "My _name is_ Bumblebee." She recognizes her own voice there at the end, and smiles.

Optimus merely nods and gets back up to his feet with a whir and clank of mechanics.

Bumblebee puts one of his hands on her shoulders, not actually resting any weight there, and Charlie leans into the touch as a source of support. Up in the sky, fireballs streak among the stars, heading for pretty damn close to where they're standing.

"The rest of the gang?" Charlie asks.

Bee nods, antennae bobbing. He looks nervous all of a sudden, which is ridiculous- he single-handedly (okay sure, she helped, but it was mostly him) took out two of the bad Decepticon robots, keeping Earth safe! They should be nervous of meeting _him_.

She feels the shock of the impacts before the sound hits her, a deep reverberating _thud_ that nearly knocks her off her feet, the trees around them swaying. Bee's fingers grip her just enough to keep her balanced; she's proud of how quickly he learned how much strength to use with her, considering how strong he really is.

"The others will be here momentarily," Optimus says.

True to his prediction, it isn't long before the first Autobot stomps into view. This one is shorter than Optimus, but amazingly is even wider, and it's hard to tell colors in the dim moonlight but she thinks they might be greenish?

"So B-127 didn't bite the slag after all," they say in a male voice.

Bee lets out an unhappy sounding buzz at that, and this time it's Charlie who reaches up to touch him, wrapping her hand around one of his fingers.

"What is _that_?" the new robot says, glowing eyes zeroing on her.

"Hi, I'm Charlie," she says.

"One of the primitive indigenous life forms of this mud ball, no doubt," another male voice says, this one only a couple of feet taller than Bee and gleaming with white patches.

"Hey," she protests. "I'm not primitive!"

The newest Autobot looms down over her, and Charlie lifts her chin and crosses her arms under her chest. She faced down killer Decepticons _and_ the army, she isn't going to be intimidated by someone who's supposedly on her side.

"Bulkhead, Ratchet," Optimus says in a somewhat warning tone, which she supposes are the new Autobots' names.

"How come B-127 gets a pet?" a third new bot says. How in the world are they moving so quietly is what she wants to know- probably the squishy layer of leaves underfoot is muffling their movements, but still, they're _giant metal robots_. It's just ridiculous.

Bumblebee makes a noise halfway between an engine rev and a growl, which is just really strange to hear.

"His name's Bumblebee, first off," Charlie says, "And secondly? I'm no one's pet"

She actually hears the fourth new robot this time, though she has a feeling that they made noise on purpose. Unlike the others this one is small- smaller than Bee, even- and they have a fairly feminine silhouette.

"Optimus," the new Autobot says, voice pretty much confirming her as a 'her' in Charlie's mind. It's kind of cool to realize that there are girl robots, too. "Are we sure this location is safe?"

All eyes turn to Optimus, including Charlie's. He inclines his head. "Earth is the safest planet within our range that still contains energon," he says.

She does has to admit, he has a soothing voice that's just dripping with calm authority. No wonder he's the leader.

"What's energon?" Charlie asks, which draws the female Autobot's attention her way.

The bot looks at Charlie, then at Bee. "Picking up strays already, I see," she says.

Charlie's already getting real tired of robots assuming she's Bumblebee's pet or whatever.

"Energon is what sustains us," the one she's pretty sure Optimus called Ratchet says.

"Cool, so like food, got it," she says with a nod. A thought occurs to her and she turns to look up at Bee, suddenly worried. "Bee, you didn't need any earlier, did you? Was I starving you?"

Bumblebee shakes his head and she relaxes again in relief. Where would she have even gotten this 'energon' stuff if he _had_ needed some?

"I've never heard B-1- excuse me, _Bumblebee_ , so quiet," the male Autobot whose name she hadn't caught says. "What's the matter, the organic got your vocal synthesizer?"

"No," Bumblebee says with a crackle of static, eyes narrowed and shoulders squaring up, "Decepticon."

The female bot steps closer. "You're damaged?" she says, and then glances over her shoulder at Ratchet with a pointed expression.

"Well it's not like I can do anything out in this jungle," Ratchet says immediately, hands up, "To say nothing of the quality of light."

"We need to move to a new location," Optimus says, cutting off the female robot who seemed to want to say something else. "We'll assess ourselves then. Has everyone scanned a native form?"

The Autobots collectively nod their heads.

"Then we transform, and roll out."


End file.
